Companies are eager to hire workers with AI skills, according to a new In-Demand Skills Report from online work marketplace Upwork.

Upwork’s recent report analyzed U.S. hiring on its marketplace from January to December 2025 to determine which skills are growing the fastest. The major finding was that AI skills have grown by 109% on average year-over-year, far outpacing the 23% growth of other in-demand skills, like accounting and graphic design.  

Upwork’s researchers wrote that companies are weaving AI into everyday work rather than replacing most roles outright, especially in coding, creative, marketing and customer support. When it comes to AI, it seems companies are investing heavily in six broad areas of work: coding and web development, customer service and administrative support, data science and analytics, design and creative, sales and marketing and finance and consulting. 

“AI isn’t replacing people; it’s sharpening where human expertise matters most, with businesses continuing to invest in creativity, judgment and problem-solving alongside AI,” Teng Liu, economist at Upwork, said in a press release. 

Fastest-growing AI skills companies want

The report found a cluster of AI skills with explosive growth. The first is AI video generation and editing, which saw demand surge by about 329% year-over-year, driven by short-form video and training content that can be produced faster with AI tools. Workers who can refine AI-generated footage are especially valuable. 

Second, AI integration. Demand for this skill, which involves embedding AI models into websites, apps,and internal tools to automate workflows, has grown by 178% year-over-year.

AI data annotation and labeling surged by 154% compared to the same time in 2024. This skill turns raw data into accurate, labeled training sets for AI models to process. 

AI image generation is also on the rise, the report found, up about 95% year-over-year. The skill reflects demand for people who can use generative AI to create images for marketing and design, then clean them up with professional editing tools. 

Finally, the demand for AI chatbot development increased by about 71% year-over-year as companies deploy chatbots for a variety of functions, including customer support. 

“What this signals is a redefinition of professional advantage,” Gabby Burlacu, senior research manager at Upwork, said in a press release. “Professionals who can direct and refine AI outputs to enhance their work will stand out and find success.”

Business leaders value human talent along with AI

Though workers may be afraid that AI will take over their jobs, the Upwork report found that 47% of business executives would pay a premium to work with someone who is innovative and 45% would pay extra to work with a creative person. 

Over three-quarters of business leaders (77%) told Upwork that AI is increasing their need for workers with specialized skills instead of replacing workers altogether. 

Other reports paint a more dire picture. The World Economic Forum, for instance, found last year that AI will transform or make obsolete 39% of workers’ skills by 2030. 

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